[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Former President Lee Myung-bak is spending his first holiday since being released through a special pardon.
Former President Lee was freed at midnight on December 28 last year, with the remaining 15 years of his sentence waived. Previously, he was prosecuted on charges including embezzlement and bribery through the auto parts company DAS, and in October 2020, the Supreme Court confirmed a 17-year prison sentence, which he served. Due to health reasons, his sentence execution was suspended, allowing him to spend the Chuseok holiday last September with his family at home. It is expected that he will spend this Lunar New Year holiday similarly.
Former Governor Kim Kyung-soo of Gyeongnam also spends the Lunar New Year holiday with his family after a long time. When former President Lee was pardoned, Kim’s remaining sentence was waived without reinstatement of rights. Kim was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court in July last year for the ‘Druking comment manipulation’ case and served his sentence. Since only the remaining sentence was waived, his eligibility to run for office remains restricted until May 2028.
Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil), who was revealed as the ‘private power’ behind the Park Geun-hye administration’s state affairs manipulation and sentenced to prison, will also spend this Lunar New Year outside with her family. In December last year, she was granted a one-month suspension of sentence execution due to the recognized need for spinal surgery and was temporarily released. This is about 6 years and 1 month since her arrest in November 2016.
Choi is likely to apply for an extension of the suspension of sentence execution after the Lunar New Year holiday. Her suspension expires on the 26th. If the Cheongju District Prosecutor’s Office does not accept this application, she will have to return to Cheongju Women’s Prison on the 26th.
Former Dongyang University professor Jung Kyung-shim, who was sentenced to four years in prison for her involvement in her children’s college admission fraud case, is expected to quietly spend the holiday at Seoul Detention Center.
She applied for suspension of sentence execution due to the need for surgery for a herniated disc, stenosis, and lower limb paralysis. The Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office accepted this, and her sentence execution was suspended on October 4 last year, leading to her temporary release. She applied for a second extension, but on November 29 last year, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office denied it. Jung’s side requested a re-examination, but the prosecution stated there is no re-examination procedure and did not approve it. Jung was re-incarcerated on December 4 last year.
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